- The Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE, has published Specification 0065, which establishes the requirements that reusable masks must comply with. With this, the whole range of hygienic masks has been completed: single use and reusable and masks for adults or children.
- This is the result of joint work with the Ministries of Health; Industry, Trade and Tourism; Consumer Affairs, Labour and Social Economy, in addition to private entities (textile manufacturers, laboratories and technological centres), forming an exemplary case of a public private partnership model.
- It will facilitate the mass production of reusable masks in the necessary volume, and will be available free of charge to all of society. These masks will offer citizens a protective barrier against the COVID-19 pandemic and the UNE Specification provides users with instructions on how to wear, remove, store and wash them correctly.
15 April 2020. The Spanish Association for Standardization (UNE) has published Specification UNE 0065, which establishes the minimum requirements that hygienic masks must comply with in terms of the materials used for their design, manufacture, marking and use; the document records the differences between face masks destined for use by adults and children. This document will facilitate the manufacture of reusable masks in the necessary volume, both industrial and artisanal, in the required volume, offering citizens a protective barrier against the COVID-19 pandemic. UNE makes this document open access, available free and downloadable to anyone, as well as the UNE 0064 series on single use masks, on the UNE website.
The UNE 0065 Specification provides end users with instructions for wearing, use, removal, storage and washing, which are fundamental to guaranteeing the protection for which they have been designed, both for first usage and for subsequent uses.
In the drafting of UNE Specification 0065 Reusable face masks for adults and children. Requirements for materials, design, manufacture, marking and use was participated in by the Ministry of Health; The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism; The Ministry of Consumer Affairs; Ministry of Labour and Social Economy; AEMPS; INSST; CIE; FENIN; AITEX; ASEPAL; IBV; COIIM; EURECAT; LEITAT and TEXFOR.
The set of standards on hygienic masks responds to the high demand for barrier systems and products. It is a relevant initiative that supports the hundreds of companies that are making an extraordinary effort in the production of protective material for the fight against coronavirus; some companies already manufacture these products, but for many, it is a new initiative.
The single use hygienic mask intended for use by adults without symptoms who are not susceptible to wearing surgical masks or filter masks for protection against particles, according to the measures established in the technical document "Prevention and control of infection in the management of patients with COVD-19" published by the Ministry of Health. For example, for people who have to go out to the street for work-related reasons, to reduce the risk of being unable to maintain social distancing.
This Specification does not apply to surgical masks that must comply with Standard UNE-EN 14683: 2019+AC: 2019; nor to filtering half-masks for protection against particulates that must comply with Standard UNE-EN 149: 2001+ A1:2010.
The hygienic masks described in the Specifications UNE 0064-1 (adults), UNE 0064-2 (children) and UNE 0065 (both) provide citizens with a protective bacterial barrier against particles, together with breathability requirements that allow them to keep protected and to continue with their daily lives when wearing the mask. This is a fundamental measure, together with the rest of the social distancing measures, to face the current scenario. Their subsequent reuse is subject to washing, drying and maintenance conditions that are described in the UNE 0065 Specification.
The list of Spanish manufacturers that provide the tissues recommended in the document can be found on website of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism.
